KINGDOM

UK first for onshore gas transmission as Belfast supply flows uninterrupted

Industry-leading technology from engineering specialist STATS Group (STATS) has been deployed in Northern Ireland while vital work is underway converting a coal-fired power station to gas. The Kilroot power station, located on the shores of Belfast Lough, once supplied one-third of Northern Ireland’s electricity but faced closure next year because it could not meet low-carbon environmental standards.

Power station owners EPUK Investments committed to a major project which would transform Kilroot into a more environmentally friendly energy producer, securing its future and jobs, while also strengthening Northern Ireland’s energy security

A crucial stage of the project required Mutual Energy, the owner and operator of major natural gas pipelines across Scotland and Northern Ireland, to tap into its Belfast Gas Transmission Pipeline (BGTP) to tie-in a new line and block valve arrangement to provide a gas supply to Kilroot.

But the BGTP supplies gas to thousands of homes and businesses across Northern Ireland, and it was inconceivable that the supply could be turned off while the pipeline tie-in work was carried out. The solution was to deploy STATS’ BISEP pipeline sealing technology in two locations, which allowed a leak-tight isolation to be installed while a live gas feed to Belfast consumers continued through an integrated bypass without interruption.

Investing in the future

STATS has an international reputation for providing leak-tight pipeline isolation and intervention tools to the oil and gas sector and is broadening its scope into renewable energies, including CCUS (carbon capture) and hydrogen.

The BGTP pipeline block valve and offtake connection works are nearing completion, allowing a connection to the new pipeline later in 2023. Kilroot power station is part of a larger plan to create a £600 million energy park by EPUK Investments which represents the largest ever single investment in electricity generation in Northern Ireland. n

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